You can take a bus from Santiago to Puerto Montt (over 12 hours) and then aboard a Navimag ship to Puerto Natales (www.australis.com, 4days-3nights). The ship runs from Puerto Montt every monday of the year and returns from Puerto Natales each thursday. The ship is basically a cargo ship. "economy class" is a large room for about 25 people with bunk accomodation. "cabins" are for 3 passengers, shared bathroom.
A shorter way to get there is take an airplain to Punta Arenas (www.lanchile.com, 3 hours, US$300 ), and after that a bus to Puerto Natales (2 hours, US$5).
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WHAT TO BRING:
You will need a tend and food, unless you are willing to pay for Refugio (US$15 per night). A meal in a refugio is around US$10 and a Coke US$2. Good hiking-boots are required. Regarding to the clothes, get prepared for 4-seasons in a day!. Don´t forget your camera. The trails are well maintained, so actually you don´t need a map, but it´s nice have one, so at leastyou know where you are and the name of the mountains. In Punta Arenas or Puerto Natales you will find many.
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LODGING:
Hotel are very expensive taking into account the service given. Even though you must make reservations.
Hosteria Las Torres (strategic place), Hosteria Rio Serrano (bad), Hosteria Pehoe (nice), Hotel Explora (luxury hotel) and Hosteria Lago Grey.
So, it´s strongly recommended bring your tent and carry on all you will need. The camping site costs US$7 and give you the right to use bathrooms and kitchen. Refugios are US$15: Refugio Grey, Refugio Pehoe and Refugio Dickson.
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THE CLIMATE:
The weather is unpredictable and crazy. You can have in a same day: sun, clouds, wind, rain, snow and sun again!. For that, consider an extra day in your trekking.
(Temperature Max/Min) > January: 23ªC / 1ªC; July: 3ªC / -5ªC
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HIKING:
There are 2 popular hikes in the park: "The Circuit" and "The W".
The Circuit takes 7-10 days and goes around the torres and comes down along Grey Glacier.
The W, so called because it goes up to the torres, across and up the middle into the Valley of France, and across and up again to the Grey Glacier, all in the rough shape of a W. It can take about 5 days.
